Ypsi Council Kills Whale & Freon Issues

Somedays you just can't win. That was the case on the Ypsilanti City Council Monday when two HRP resolutions, banning the sale of aerosol sprays and boycotting whale products went down to roaring defeat.

The resolution to ban aerosol sprays, specifically aimed at freon gas which powers the cans and destroys the protective ozone layer of the atmosphere, lost on a 4-5 vote after assistant city attorney Ronald Egnor warned the ban would probably run into court trouble. But William Skinner, who drafted the resolution, argued it might not be so bad if it went to the Supreme Court since that would draw attention to the issue.

The whale resolution, was designed to add Ypsi's support to the international movement to end whaling by Japan and Russia, which is gradually eliminating the large mammals. After the resolution's defeat, Democrat Susan Lindsay promised to bring in a similar one next week, with wording a bit more likely to pass the conservative Council.